Deleting an EMH's ethical subroutines

[The Wormhole]

While recently watching the Equinox episodes a thought occurred. As we know, the Equinox crew deleted their EMH's ethical subroutines so he would help out slaughtering the aliens without complaint or objection. Later on when Voyager's EMH is transferred over to the Equinox they do the same to him at which point he follows Ransom's orders to perform dangerous brain surgery on Seven of Nine.

But just because an EMH's ethics are deleted shouldn't automatically make him compliant. I know, EMHs are programmed to be loyal to their crew and commanding officers, and in the case of the Equinox EMH he had no reason not to follow orders once his ethics were removed. But what about Voyager's EMH? Even after his ethics are removed he's still more evolved than the typical EMH. Seven is still his friend and Captain Ransom still isn't his captain, and is in fact the enemy of his own captain. So how does deleting his ethical subroutines automatically make him loyal to his enemy and willing to follow his orders?

The logical answer would be that Ransom also reprogrammed his loyalties, but then how could he? The Equinox crew would have had no reason to tinker with the loyalties of their own EMH, since loyalty to the crew is part of his core programming and once ethics are out of the way he has no reason not to follow the orders of Ransom or anyone else on the ship. And besides, the Equinox crew had higher priorities like staying alive and enhancing the engines to worry about their EMH beyond the barest necessity to get their work done. And when you're cut off from home under constant attack it's not a good idea to tinker too much with your holographic doctor.

And also, they didn't seem to do anything too complicated with Voyager's EMH, just a few taps on the computer console, which I would guess only affected his ethics and not his loyalties, and he instantly followed Ransom's orders.

So, thoughts? Why does deleting an EMH's ethics automatically make him loyal to his enemy?

 

[bbjeg]

Maybe, deep down, the EMH resents Seven for not putting out after all his advancements?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

That is a good question, because if you imagine a human whose ability to process morality is suddenly taken away, he'd still have his rational mind and his own goals. It did seem like the writers were using the conceit of 'He's evil now, must be willing to side with the side the audience knows to be evil!' It's possible that his 'Ethical subroutines' constitute his entire value system so without them he's just left with the basic directive of blindly following the orders of the crew of the ship he is currently on.

But this also raises the question, if the Equinox EMH had his ethical subroutines deleted against his well, was he responsible for his own actions, and if not, did the Doctor commit murder by deleting him?

 

[Catarina]

The mistake of the writers was forgetting people ask questions trying to find logic.

I did myself a favor and shut off my logic subroutine so I could be simply entertained :-)

 

[Avro Arrow]

Based on his behaviour, "deleting the ethical subroutines" must be verbal shorthand for "rewriting the ethical subroutines to be explicitly UNethical subroutines". Or reversing the polarity on the ethical subroutines. Or something. Basically the LCARS equivalent of flipping the switch on the back of the Krusty the Klown doll:

"Here's your problem. Someone set this thing to evil!"

 

[Timo]

I don't really see any of the EMHs possessing "loyalty" as default. They just do as they are told, by anybody around in need of medical help (for themselves or for others). To program the EMHs with a disinclination to help people until and unless those people give proper authorization would seem profoundly counterproductive!

Now, Ransom tells the EMH he wants a medical procedure performed. That's what the EMH is for. Medical procedures aren't inherently good or evil: many will cause pain and suffering while improving one's life expectancy, while others will alleviate pain and suffering while shortening the patient's life. A special set of instructions is obviously needed to educate the EMH on whether he should agree to an appendectomy or not, regardless of whether the patient was young or old, pretty or ugly, or the friend or enemy of the EMH; by removing that set, Ransom should indeed gain the power to have the EMH perform lobotomy at command.

Sure, the Voyager EMH may have a will of his own. But he's still a doctor deep down, and should have a professionalism subroutine that puts the practicing of medicine ahead of his private life. Sure, most EMHs wouldn't need such a subroutine, but it's one of the first things "our" holo-doctor ought to have evolved in order to remain capable of fulfilling his mission... And once the professional side of the EMH takes over, the need to obey valid medical commands gains primacy - and tampering with the definition of "valid" is all Ransom needs.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[bbjeg]

^I think the thing is, the Doctor evolved to have likes and wants of his own (something other EMH's lack). After Ransom disabled his ethical subroutines, it would have made more sense if he shot Ransom dead. He developed a friendship with his crew that disappeared. If his program was reset though, everything you said would be true, but it wasn't. He simply just turned evil.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's pretty clear though that EMHs are programmed with an equivalent of the modern Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. That programming was the whole reason his logical routines went into a self destructive loop when he had to choose between saving two equally savable patients and he chose based on his personal friendship. His developed personality came into conflict with his base programming.

Deleting his ethical subroutines should have been the equivalent of deleting the Hippocratic Oath, and it shouldn't have affected his friendship toward Seven.

Here's a thought though. The Doctor really wanted to assume total control and possession of Seven. His deepest desires are to remove Seven's free will and make her his own, make her sing on command. And that's why he was willing to do what Ransom wanted when his ethics were removed.

 

[erastus25]

Based on his behaviour, "deleting the ethical subroutines" must be verbal shorthand for "rewriting the ethical subroutines to be explicitly UNethical subroutines". Or reversing the polarity on the ethical subroutines. Or something. Basically the LCARS equivalent of flipping the switch on the back of the Krusty the Klown doll:

"Here's your problem. Someone set this thing to evil!"

But even having unethical subroutines shouldn't rewrite who he's friends with. It should just make him willing to torture Ransom and crew if 7, or another friend, asked him to do it.

The real answer, of course, is bad writing. One of those episodes where you just have to accept the limitation and move on. No amount of retconning is going to fix it.

 

[Lord Manitou]

No doubt Ransom and his subordinates knew how to surgically remove the doctors ethical sub-routines. But they weren't really removed or the sophisticated doctor would have gone ahead and given Seven a lobotomy. It's my guess the Hirogen scientists with very different machinery had a first grade-hands down- approach to federation technology and mechanics. They couldn't really understand the doctors back-up systems.

 

[RagazzaMatta]

Yeah, I agree that the writers probably were being lazy. It would have made more sense to explain that they also programmed him to side with them.

But it makes me think: in The Darkling should his ethical subroutines have kept him from becoming evil after he programmed in the new personalities?

 

[Saturn0660]

But even having unethical subroutines shouldn't rewrite who he's friends with. It should just make him willing to torture Ransom and crew if 7, or another friend, asked him to do it.

The real answer, of course, is bad writing. One of those episodes where you just have to accept the limitation and move on. No amount of retconning is going to fix it.

I dunno that I buy that answer. At the end of the day he's still JUST an EMH. And being one he will do whatever he's told by the captain. He's ethical kept him from doing what he was asked to do. It was removed.. Ransom said "I need info. She has it". End of story.

 

[Tyberius]

But even having unethical subroutines shouldn't rewrite who he's friends with. It should just make him willing to torture Ransom and crew if 7, or another friend, asked him to do it.

The real answer, of course, is bad writing. One of those episodes where you just have to accept the limitation and move on. No amount of retconning is going to fix it.

I dunno that I buy that answer. At the end of the day he's still JUST an EMH. And being one he will do whatever he's told by the captain. He's ethical kept him from doing what he was asked to do. It was removed.. Ransom said "I need info. She has it". End of story.

I think the issue is whether the Doctor has a Kantian or Utilitarian ethic.

Clearly, for the story to work out, he has a Utilitarian ethic. And once that ability to weigh each benefit is removed, he simply falls back to performing medical procedures, and/or following orders of superiors.

 

[Drone]

Another possibility is that Ransom promised that the crew would listen to the Doctor's opera recitals in rapt attention, without rolling their eyes once and sit through looking at his entire photo collection with no one even attempting to bolt for the door.

 

[Lord Manitou]

The EMH is just another robot who wears his humanity lika a mask and this is twice as pronounced as his confidants like B'Ellana, Harry. It was Ransom's idea that the EMH would just go-ahead and give Seven a lobotomy. However the EMH hesitated and continued on back-up systems and why is this so?
The harsh, black-and white realities of the EMH has been faceted by Voyager crew since the Caretaker. Especially this was done by Kes. Before the beginning of Season 6 the good doctor departed from his original programming that is accessable from the Federation data-base. This was done enough so the EMH really couldn't follow Ransom's orders.
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EMH Why the long face? You're about to get your crew home? She tried to stand in your way. You had no Choice.

RANSOM No choice. Thank-you doctor.

EMH When this is all over I'm going to need a new repertoire. I'm going to need a new partner.

 

[Lord Manitou]

The EMH is just another robot who wears his humanity lika a mask and this is twice as pronounced as his confidants like B'Ellana, Harry. It was Ransom's idea that the EMH would just go-ahead and give Seven a lobotomy. However, the EMH hesitated and continued on back-up systems and why is this so?
The harsh, black-and white realities of the EMH has been faceted by Voyager crew since the Caretaker. Especially this was done by Kes. Before the beginning of Season 6 the good doctor departed from his original programming that is accessible from the Federation data-base. This was done enough so the EHH really couldn't follow Ransom's orders.

EMH Why the long face? You're about to get your crew home? She tried to stand in your way. You had no Choice.

RANSOM No choice. Thank-you doctor.

EMH When this is all over I'm going to need a new repertoire. I'm going to need a new partner.